Ruling-pen.



E. .C. ,INGRAHAM,

RULING PEN.

APPLICATION FILED 056.16. I913.

1,1 89,824. Patented July 4, 1916.

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ELMER C. INGRAHAM, OF FORT MORGAN, COLORADO.

' RULING-TPEN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 4,1916.

Application filed December 16, 1913. Serial No. 807,084.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ELMER O. INGRAHAM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fort Morgan, in thecounty of Morgan and State of Colorado, have invented new and useful Improvements in Ruling-Pens, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object. to provide a simple construction in quick adjustments for ruling pens, obviating the necessity for turning a screw to vary the breadth of line made by the pen.

An important object is to provide asimple means for varying the adjustment, enabling a construction of the device which may be changed from adjustment for broad lines to that for narrow lines, or vice versa, by a simple pressure of the finger, and to enable the breadth of either the broad or the narrow lines to be fixed adjustably and independently.

Other important objects are to provide such a device in the form of an attachment which may be incorporated in ordinary ruling pens in which the old form of screw adjustment exists, and to make the resulting pen such that it is capable of being quickly and easily cleaned.

Additional objects and advantages will appear, some of which will be apparent from the following description, and from the drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a side view of a self-opening pen equipped with my invention, in its normal position. Fig. 2 is the same, but with its leverpressed, as by a finger. Fig. 3 is a top view thereof. Fig. 41 is a side view of the invention as applied to a self-closing pen. Fig. 5 is a top view thereof. Fig. 6 is a side view of a modification of the binding spring for holding the inner nut in adjusted positions. Fig. 7 is a fragmentary side view of a modification of the manipulating method.

There is illustrated an ordinary pen having the usual stifi' blade 10, and more flexible blade 11 tending to spring away from the one 10, the usual screw 12 being engaged in the blade 10 in the customary manner and projected through a suitable orifice in the blade 11, a nut 13 of ordinary form being engaged on the outer part of the screw. The screw-is somewhat longer than customary with the ordinary pen, and engaged pivoton said screw under the nut 13, and

ally

the outside of the blade 11 there is against 7 of any suitable shape and the adjacent end of the lever being bent inwardly to rest on the blade 11 when in initial position. Engaged on the screw between the blades there is a nut 17 beneath which a bow spring 18 is confined, serving to frictionally hold the nut against loose or accidental movement. The nut 17 is of such diameter as to project laterally beyond the blades, whereby it may be readily manipulated. The opening 19 through the lever 14 for the screw 12 may be ovate, with its major dimension disposed longitudinally of the pen. To hold the lever in longitudinal alinement with the pen and prevent accidental turning thereof out of operative position a short, narrow groove 20 is formed in the outer side of the blade 11, and a central longitudinally extending or otherwise shaped projection 21 is formed at the central part of the fulcrum engaging slidably in the groove. In this case the pro jection is a downwardly pressed rib.

In use, the blades tending to separate, the nut'13 is adjusted to limit the spacing of the nibs to form a line of the maximum width desired, while the inner nut 17 is adjusted at the proper position to limit inward movement of the blade 11 to form a line of the minimum thickness desired. Normally, the device will be set for the wide line under resilient action of the blade 1.1, as shown in Fig. 1. A light pressure on the finger piece 15 will close the blades the blade 11, so that the pen does not have ungainly proportions, nor such projections as to interfere with its ready use as familiar heretofore. If it is desired to clean the pen, this lever, being pivotally arranged, is easily turned about ninety degrees to either side, allowing the blade to take up a positionin the hollow of the raised bearing portion, thus separating the nibs a considerable distance, in which position they may be easily cleaned. After cleaning the lever is easily turned back to operative position,

where it is securely locked by the groove 20 and projection 21.

The invention as applied to a self-closing pen is shown in Fig. 4, where the change lever 14 has its fulcrum and bearing portion located between the blades. Here, the lever is provided with a lower suitably shaped portion 23, the outer short arm 24 of which bears against the inner side of the blade 11, its fulcrum portion being apertured, to receive the screw therethrough, the immediately adjacent inner long arm of said lower portion being broadened and havinga large central opening 22 receiving the blade 11 clear therethrough for oscillation of the lever without premature engagement against the blade. The upper end of the lever is provided with a suitable finger piece 15. In this form of the device the blades tend to close, being limited in closing by. the engagement of the blade 11 against the short arm 24: and the lower side of the opening 22, the fulcrum being supported, by the nut 17 engaged upon the screw 12 closely adjacent the blade 10. The

outward movement of the blade 11 is limit-' ed bythe nut 13 engaged on the outer part of the screw 12, loose movement of which may be prevented by splitting the end of the screw in the familiar manner. Loose movement of the nut 17 from adjusted positions is prevented by its friction with the lever, the necessity for any special springs being thus obviated. In thls form pressure is applied to produce the broad line, instead I of the narrow line as at first described.

In Fig. 6 theelements are the same except that a leaf spring 25 is formed on the spacing element 26 between the bases of the blades, bearing against the nut 17.

' In Fig. 7 the pen is further simplified by the omission of any lever, enabling the shortening of the screw, the nut 13 engag- Goples of this patent may be obtained for ing directly against the blade 11, the limitation of the movement of the blade being effected as before, but its adjustment from coarse to fine being attained by direct pressure of thefinger on the blade 11, which may be facilitated .by making the blades of greater flexibility. 7

What is claimed 1. A drawing pen comprising two blades under tension tending to move relatively, a screw element secured to one and slidably engaged through the other, adjustable members carried by the screw to limit said movement of said other blade in respective directions, a lever member having a fulcrum and bearing portion formed with an opening having said screw loosely engaged therethrough and disposed between one of said adjustable members and said other blade in the direction which it tends to move, and a finger piece on the lever alined with the pen for operationby pressure of a finger.

2. In a drawing pen, two blades, flexible for relative lateral adjustment, a screw member secured to one blade and engaged slidably through the second, adjustable devices carried by the screw on opposite sides of the second blade for limiting its relative movement with respect to the first blade, a lever member having a central enlarged aperture, at least one of the blades being engaged loosely through the aperture, said lever having an inner fulcrum and bearing portion engaged between one of said. adjustable devices and loosely engaged around said screw, and an outer finger piece on the lever. V V V In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

I ELMER C. IN GRAHAM. lVitnesses:

' ERNEST E. CALKINs,

EUGENE VVILLsoN.

five cents each, lay-addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

